Circuit-closing apparatus.



H. W. SHEBHY.

CIRCUIT CLOSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1910.

1,020,520- Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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(OLUMIHA PLANOGRAPM co.. WASHINGTON. D C

HARRY W. SHEEHY, OF AKRON, OHIO.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

' Application filed May 25, 1910. Serial No. 563,419.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WV. SHEEHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-ClosingApparatuses, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements incircuit controlling apparatus for use in connection with electricrailway switches, the present invention being designed particularly foruse with electrically operated street cars.

The invention has for its primary object a simple, durable and efficientmagnetic circuit closing mechanism which will be positive in its actionand under the control of the motorman of the car, and arranged to beactuated by him without leaving the platform, thereby avoiding thedelays and consequent losses that are incidental to the ordinaryhand-operated switches, which require either that a switchman beemployed along the track, or that the motor-man or conductor leave thecar platform and work a switch while the car is stopped both before andafter it has gone through the switch.

The invention has for a further object an improved mechanism of thischaracter which may be easily applied to any ordinary or conventionaltype of street railway car without any material alterations therein, andwhich may be easily operated merely by the manipulation of a simpleswitch handle which may be secured to the car dashboard or otherwiselocated where it will be in convenient reach of the motor-man.

The invention also has for its object a magnetic switch closingapparatus which embodies a single switch handle capable of operating twpmagnetically actuated circuit closing bars whereby either one or theother may be moved down into engagement with a conductor rail whichforms a part of the electrically operated switch or frog actuatingmechanism, the said handle being arranged to not only close the magneticcircuits so as to move the operating bars downwardly, but being alsoarranged to effect the closing of the switch operating circuits(including the conductor rails with which the operating bars contact),after the operating bar has been moved downwardly to an operativeposition. And the invention also has for its object to generally improvethis class of devices, render them simple in construction as well asdurable and not liable to get out of order and to also render them morecommercially desirable.

\Vith these and other objects in View as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of a car equipped with the improvements ofmy invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudional sectional view of one of theelectro-magnets, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 illustrates inside elevation and top plan view part of the electro-magnet, as doesalso Fig. 4. Fig. 5 illustrates a top plan and longitudinal sectionalview of a portion of another part of the magnet. Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the parts illustrating them in assembled relation to eachother. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in frontelevation of one of the parts for carryiing the contact members. Fig. 8is an elevation of part of the electric switch. Fig. 9 is a view of thecover-plate thereof. Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of the spring-armsdesigned to return the switchhandle to neutral position, and Fig. 12illustrates some of the details of the switch.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

It is to be understood that my invention is applicable for use with anytype of electrically actuated switch or frog which includes as part ofthe actuating mechanism an electric circuitdesigned to be closed byparts carried by the car and including, for instance, conductor railswhich may be mounted between the ordinary track-rails, one of said railsbeing designed to move the switch to a position in which the car willtake the siding and the other rail being arranged to move the switch toa position where the car will take or continue on the main track.However, as the switch mechanism along the track forms no part of thepresent invention, I have omitted any illustration or descriptionthereof with the exception of the two conductor rails which I havedesignated S and M respectively, indicating that when the rail S isengaged by one of the operating bars carried by the car the switch orfrog will be moved so the car can take the siding, and that when theconductor rail M is engaged by the other op erating bar, the switch willbe moved for the car to move onto or to continue on the mam track, asthe case may be. Coming then to the parts which form the basis of mypresent invention, A and A designate two peculiarly constructedsolenoids or electro magnets which are carried by and secured upon anysuitable part of the car. As these magnets are both substantially ahkein construction and formation, a description of one of them will besuflicient. For example, the magnet A embodiesa preferably cylindricalcasing l which is secured to the car as by oppositely projecting pairsof apertured lugs 2, as shown, said casing being formed at its lower endwith a screw-threaded opening 3, and being provided at its upper endwith a plurality of equally spaced outstanding segmental lugs 4:. Abarrel 5 is designed to fit within the casing 1, said barrel beingformed on its exterior wall intermediate of its ends with screw-threads6, designed. to engage the threads of the opening 3, whereby the lowerend of the barrel will protrude to some extent below the bottom of thecasing 1. The parts are preferably so proportioned that when they arethus connected the annular outstanding flange 7 which is formed on theupper end of the barrel lies substantially flush with the upper edge ofthe casing 1.

8 designates a magnetic coil which encircles the barrel 5 and preferablyfills the space between the exterior wall of the barrel and theadjoining orinterior wall of the casing l, as clearly illustrated inFig. 2, the coil extending from the flange 7 to the bottom of thecasing 1. A cap 9 which is substantially cylindrical as shown, isadapted to fit over the top of the casing l with its :inclosed barrel 5,said cap 9 being formed at its lower edge with inwardly extendingsegmental lugs 10 designed to interlock with the outstanding lugs e ofthe casing 1, so as to permit the cap to be slipped over the upper endof the casing and, be given a slight turn to interlock therparts. Thecap 9 is also formed with a centrally disposed and longitudinallyextending stem 11, said stem being formed with a longitudinal opening 12extending entirely therethrough and through the top of the cap, saidopening being designed to receive an operating bar 13 which may be ofany desired length, according to the requirements of the case.

The operating bar 13 extends entirely through the stem 11 and downwardlyentirely through the barrel 5, projecting out of the lower end of thebarrel and through an opening 14: formed therein. A coil expansionspring 15 encircles the operating bar 13 and is mounted within thebarrel 5, the lower end of the spring bearing against the bottom of thebarrel and the upper end of the spring bearing against the inner orlower end of the stem 11, such end of the stem being received and guidedin the-upper end of the barrel 5, as shown. It will thus be understoodthat in the normal position of the parts with the magnet deenergized,the spring 15 will be permitted to exert its full tension to hold thecap 9 at the upper limit of its movement, that is, with the lugs 10 inengagement with the lugs at. Upon the energization of the magnet, thestem 11 will serve as a core and be drawn downwardly so as to compressthe spring and at the same time carry the operating bar 13 downwardly,it being noted that the operating bar is con nected to the cap 9 by abolt or pin 16 which passes through any one of the series of openings 17formed in the bar at the upper end of the latter and through aperturedears 18 which are formed on the top of the cap 9.

The operating bar 13 is received at its lower end in the upper end of afork 19, and is preferably incased in fiber insulating'sections 20. Thebar 13 is secured within the members of the fork by upper and lowertransverse bolts 21 and 22, fiber insulating bushings 23 surrounding thebolts, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. The fork 19 carries a roller2-1 which is journaled in the lower end of the fork and which is adaptedfor contact with the conductor rail.

The switch for controlling the circuits of the two electro-magnets A, Acomprises a base-plate 25 which is somewhat triangular in form in thepresent instance, as shown, said. base being secured in any desired wayand in a vertical position in the present instance, to some part of thecar, as for ex ample, the dashboard D. The base 25 has four contactmembers connected thereto, said members being arranged in pairs near theopposite side edges of the base and preferably embodying spring blades,as clearly illustrated in the drawings, having one end attached to thebase and the other slightly offset therefrom. These contact members orblades are designated 26 and 26 and 27 and 27?. A conducting wire 28connects the contact member 26 with one end of the coil. 8 of the magnetA, as at 29, and a conducting wire 28 similarly connects the contactmember 26 with one end of the coil 8 of the ma net A, as indicated at29. The other end of the two coils are grounded as by wires 30 connectedthereto and to the cartruck'. The contact member 27 is connected by aconductor wire 31 to the bolt 21 of one of the forks 19, and the contactmember 27 is similarly connected by a wire 31 to the bolt 21 of theother fork 19.

To close the various circuits, by the parts of which have just beendescribed, I have provided a switch handle 32 which is drilled at oneend to carry an insulated hand-grip 33 and which is drilled at itsopposite end and provided with trunnions by which it is journaled on andsupported for a laterally swinging movement on the base-plate 25. In thepresent embodiment of the invention the switch handle 32 is normallyheld in its neutral and substantially vertical position by means ofSpring arms 34 which receive the handle, as shown, being preferablyformed at their free lower ends with side flanges 35 to engage the frontand rear edges of the handle and thereby prevent the spring arms fromslipping out of proper engagement with the handle. The spring arms 34may be formed as integral parts of a hearing strap 36, as bestillustrated in Fig. 10, said strap being composed of spring metal andbentfrom the blank shape shown in Fig. 10 to the shape shown in Fig. 11,the end 37 of the laterally projecting portion and connecting web ofsaid strap being secured by screws or other fastening devices to thebase-plate 25. The connecting web of the strap is formed with an openingor with a bearing for one of the trunnions of the switch handle 32, andanother strap 38 is connected to the base-plate and is formed with anopening forming a bearing for the other switch handle trunnion. Amovement of the switch handle in one direction will first cause it toengage the contact member 26, and a continued movement of the switchhandle in the same direction will then cause it to subsequently engagethe contact member 27. A movement of the switch handle in the oppositedirection will first cause it to contact with the member 26 and acontinued movement in this last named direction will cause the switchhandle to contact with the member 27 This is due to the fact that thecontact members 26 and 26 are longer than the complementary members 27and 27, extending inwardly toward the middle of the base-plate fartherthan said members 27 and 27.

39 designates a cover or lid which is adapted to inclose the switchhandle and its concomitant parts, said cover being formed with a curvedslot 40 in which the hand-grip 33 is movable, and out of which itprotrudes, the said cover preferably displaying at its ends the lettersS and M, indicating the direction of movement of the switchhandle toopen the track to the siding or to the main line.

41 designates the feed-wire which may receive its current from anysuitable source of supply, as for instance, the same source from whichthe car derives its propelling power, the said feed-wire beingoperatively connected to the switch-handle 32, and the current beingthereby conducted through the contact members before described when anyof them are overlapped by the switchhandle.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the operation of my improved circuit controlling apparatus willbe apparent.

In the practical use of the mechanism when the motorman desires toactuate the switch, say for the siding, he will move the switch-handlein the indicated direction which will first bring said handle intoengagement with, say, the contact member 26. WVhereupon, as is manifest,the current will flow from the feed-wire 41 through the contact member26, through the conductor wire 28 and through the electro-magnet A,there by energizing said magnet and causing the core or stem 11, and thecap 9 which carries it, to move downwardly, whereby to carry theoperating bar of said magnet downwardly and effect the contact of thecorresponding roller 24 with the conductor rail S. A continued movementof the switch-handle 32 in the same direction will cause the current toflow through the contact member 27, conductor wire 31 and thecorresponding fork 19, the actuating circuit for the track switch beingthereby closed and the switch or frog being thrown to open the track tothe siding in any preferred manner well-known to those skilled in theart to which my invention appertains, as for instance, by a mechanismsubstantially like or of the type corresponding to that illustrated inmy prior Letters Patent of the United States, No. 949,404, issued to meFebruary 15, 1910. Obviously, a movement of the switch-handle in theopposite direction will first energize the electro-magnet A and thenclose the actuating circuit for movin the switch-point in a direction toopen the track to the main line. In either event, it is clear that thereis no current in the fork and wheel until after it has made the properconnection with the conductor rail, all sparking at the point of contactbeing thereby prevented. In the reverse movement to open the circuitwhich operates the switclrpoint or fork, the latter will be openedbefore the magnet circuit, and all liability to the formation of arcsand destructive burning of the contact will be precluded both when thecircuits are being closed and when they are being opened. In order toopen the circuits, it is only necessary for the operator to release theswitchhandle 32, whereupon the spring arms 34 will act to swing thehandle back to its middle or neutral position.

In the preferred manner of assembling &

the parts, the coil 8 is first placed in the casing 1, the barrel 5 isthen screwed in place with its upper end flush with. the upper edge ofthe casing, the spring 15 is then placed in the barrel, and the top orcap 9 is slipped over the upper end of the casing, the cap being given apartial turn so as to interlock the lugs 4 and 10 and adjusted for thealinement of the opening in the stem 11 and the opening 1 1 in the lowerend of the barrel 5. The operating bar 13 is then equipped with the forkl9 and its lower end is inserted up through the opening 14 and opening12 and adjusted at its upper end by the passage of the bolt 16 throughany one of the apertures 17 in the upper end of the operating bar.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In anelectrically actuated railway switch operating mechanism, an actuatingcircuit including a conductor, a contact-bar arranged to engage saidconductor to close the circuit, an electro-magnet having a movable corecarrying said contact-bar, an electrict circuit in which theelectro-magnet is included, and a switch-handle arranged to close thecircuit for the electro-magnet prior to and distinct from the closing ofthe first named circuit which is also effected by said switch-handle.

2. In an electrically actuated railway switch operating mechanism, acircuit closing apparatus including a conductor, a contact-bar arrangedto engage said conductor to close the switch actuating circuit, saidcircuit including a terminal, an electromagnet having a movable corecarrying said contact-bar, an electric circuit for said magnet includinga terminal, and an electric switch embodying a handle movable in adefinite plane and arranged to engage the last named terminal prior tothe first named terminal for the purpose specified.

3. In an electrically actuated railway switch operating mechanism, anactuating circuit including a conductor, means for engaging saidconductor to close said circuit, an electromagnet having a movable corecarrying said conductor engaging means, an electric circuit in which theelectro-magnet is included, and means for first closing the circuit ofthe electro-magnet and for subsequently closing a circuit through theconductor and conductor engaging means after the latter has been movedinto engagement with the conductor by the electro-magnet.

4. In an electrically actuated railway switch operating mechanism, aconductor, a contact bar arranged to engage said conductor, anelectro-magnet having a movable core carrying said cont-act bar, andmeans controlling a circuit through the electromagnet arranged to effectthe engagement of the contact bar with the conductor and to subsequentlyclose a circuit in which the conductor and contact bar are included.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY W. SHEEHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

